Jul. 09, 1986

MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ Typhoon Peggy slammed into the Philippines' main island of Luzon on Wednesday with winds up to 109 mph, causing widespread flooding and landslides that killed at least 20 people, authorities said.

Red Cross action officer Irineo Zabala said he expected the death toll to climb as communications were restored with affected regions.

One of the worst hit areas was Baguio, a mountain resort 125 miles north of Manila, where the Red Cross and Office of Civil Defense said landslides killed 18 people.

Officials said three people from the area were missing.

Red Cross relief coordinator Prosperidad Cabalang said in a telephone interview that a landslide hit a mining camp outside Baguio and high winds blew down houses, forcing residents to seek shelter in a school and gymnasium.

Flood waters up to 10 feet deep were reported, and relief officials said landslides closed off portions of two major roads to the town.

Two people were reported electrocuted and houses were destroyed in Pangasinan, one of several provinces where flooding was reported after two days of heavy rain.

The typhoon struck land at 9 a.m. in the rice-growing Cagayan Valley region 200 miles north of Manila, said chief government weather forecaster Amado Pineda. He said Peggy's gusts were felt more than 430 miles from the typhoon's center.

Flooding also was reported in Nueva Ecija, La Union, Cagayan and Tarlac provinces and in low-lying areas in Manila.

President Corazon Aquino and her ministers walked on wooden planks to a Cabinet meeting on the grounds of the riverside Malacanang Palace. The high waters caused traffic jams in the capital and scattered power interruptions.

Philippine Air Lines canceled some domestic flights.

An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, Pineda said. A typhoon is the name given a tropical cyclone that occurs in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea.